Galvanic battery.



lNo. 828,855. Patented July u, |889.-

w. BUWBTHAM. GALVANIC BATTERY;

(Application filed Oct. 21, 1895.)

(No Model.) 7 sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 628,855. Patented July Il, |899. W. BOWBOTHAM.

GALVANIC BATTERY.

(Application led Oct. 21, 1895.) (No Model.)

7 Sheets-Silent 3.'

Tm: NoRRls PETERS co.. mmumo.. wANINoUN. u. c,

No. 528,855. Patented July u, |899. w. RowBoTHAM. GALVANIC BATTERY.l

(Application filed Oct. 21, 1895.)

7 Shees-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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No. 623,355. Patented muy n, m99.A

w. nowoTHAM. GALvANlc BATTERY.

(Application filed Oct. 2l, 189.5.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

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No. 628,855. `Paten'md July n, |899. w. RowBoTHAM.

GALVANIC BATTERY. (Application mea oct. 21.1395.)

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

-Ioooooo oooocmoo No. 628,855) Patented luly H, |899. W. RUWBOTHAM.

GALVANIC BATTERY.

(Application ied Oct. 21, 1895.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 7.

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TALTER ROVBOTHAM, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

GALVANIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,855, dated July 11, 1899. Application tiled October 21,1395.` Serial No. 566,380. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known tnat I, WALTER Rowsorniin, electrical engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 47 Vittoria street, Birmingham, in the county of VarWiCk, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Galvanic Batteries, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom panying drawings. 4

This invention relates to primary batteries in which carbon and metal elements are einployed.

One of the chief Objects of the invention is to so take advantage of the increase of temperature arising in the active portion of the cells when the battery is supplying current that a circulation of the exciting iiuid or fluids is produced which greatly assists in preventing polarization. For this purpose I separate the exciting iiuid or iiuids within the active portion of the cell from the main body of exciting iiuid or fluids by means of a partition or partitions having openings near their upper and lower ends. These partitions may consist of the battery elements themselves or may be independent partitions.

Another important object of the invention is to neutralize or Voxidize the hydrogen gas that tends to collect on the carbon elements,

and thereby still further assist in preventing polarization. For this purpose the carbon elements are formed with passages extending completely. through them, the said passages being open to the atmosphere at both ends.

The invention also has reference to various details of construction, as will be hereinafter described.

I also employ specially-prepared exciting iluids, Whose components and their proportions will be subsequently set forth.

I will now proceed to describe theinven tion fully, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several forms that the invention may take.

Figures 1 to 3 show one form of single-Huid primary battery provided with means for obtaining circulation, Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, Aand Fig. 3 a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 as seen from the lett.

Figs. l to 7 show a double-fluid cell provided with means for oxidizing the hydrogen as Well as. for obtaining circulation of the fluid, Fig. 4 being a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of a battery of cells of the kind shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the various elements beingremoved to avoid confusion. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of a battery of the kind shown in Figs. 4 to G, but showing the battery provided with means for enabling the spent fluid to drain oft' and reservoirs for supplying fresh fluid. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a battery similar to that shown in Fig. 7, but made circular in form. Fig. 10 is a partial plan, and Fig. 11 a transverse section on the line 11 1l of Fig. 10, showinga modied construction of the doubleluid battery. Fig. l2 is a transverse section similar to Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is a vertical section on thev line 13 13 of Fig. l2, showing a further modiiication of the double-fluid battery. Fig. 14 is a part plan, and Fig. 15 a transverse section on the line 13 13, snowing a stillfurther modification of the double-iiuid battery.

In all the figures like letters of reference indicate similar parts.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the outer vessel A is divided into two main compartments by a nonporous partition a. ctx ctx are slabs of porous material dividing one ofthe said compart ments into three subcompartments. B B are the iron elements, which are here shown in the form of turnings, and C C are the carbon elements. The vessel A is in.` this construction of enameled iron with removable side plates A A. The surfaces "pf these plates are left unenameled where they come in contact with the iron turnings B, so that they serve as current-collectors, and\near their lower edges they are formed with a tion to drain from the iron. In order to facilitate the removal of the aforesaid plates A@ I form the cell with grooved projections A3 A3, which actas guides and support the plates when they are in position. The before-mein a3 near its upper end and similar apertures series of perforations A2 A2 for the spent so`lu- IOC) tioned partition a is formed with apertures v the. exciting fluid.

Ylation of the fluid is thus produced.

a4 near its lower end, all of which open into the subcompartmeut containing the carbon elements C. These carbon elements are in the form of rods and are connected together at their upper ends by means of a metal current-collect-ing plate CX, preferably of copper or brass.

Instead of forming the drainage-perforations A2 in proximity to the lower edges of the side plates A they may be formed near the upper edges of the said side plates, or they may be formed in the bottom of the subcompartments containing the iron elements.

When the cell has been charged with eX- citing fluid and is supplying current, the temperature within the subcompartment contain- Ving the carbon elements gradually increases,

with the result that the warmer portions of the fluid Within the subcompartn'ient containing the carbon elements rise to the surface and enter the outer compartment A4 through the apertures a3, their place being taken by the ent-rance of cooler fluid descending in the said outer compartment A4 and entering through the apertures a4. Circu- In addition to this continuous circulation of the iiuid within the subcompartment containing the carbon elements and the compartment A4 the solution percolating the porous slabs a gradually finds its way through the iron turnings B and drains through the perforations A2.

The above-described cell may be multiplied in any convenient manner to form a battery.

In Figs. 4 to 7, which show a double-fluid battery, the outer vesselA is divided bynonporous partitions a5 a5 into three main compartments, the inner compartment containing the iron and carbon elements B and C, while the outer compartments A5 A6 contain the main body of the exciting iiuids. The inner compartment is divided into three subcompartments by two porous partitions or ctx,

`which are held in position by grooves formed in the inner surface of the aforesaid partitions d5 a6. These partitions d5 a5 are provided with series of circulation-apertures @5X aGX, the apertures 15X establishing communication between the compartment A5 and the subcornpartment containing the iron element and the apertures a-GX establishing communication between the compartment A6 and the subcompartments containing the carbon elements. covering or bag of flannel or other suitable material B. I prefer to employ flannel because this material is not much affected by The aforesaid bag or covering serves to contain the sulfate-of-iron crystals that are deposited on the iron and enables these crystals to be readily removed by withdrawing the iron element-without otherwise interfering with the cell. Moreover, the said bag or covering prevents deposition 0f the crystals upon the surface and within The iron element B is inclosed in a the pores of the aforesaid porous partitions ax ax, and thereby avoids the increase of the internal resistance of the cell as well as the deleterious effect of these crystals on the porous partitions which would otherwise occur. The circulation of the exciting uids takes place through the apertures @5X and CLGX in a similar manner to that already described. The aforesaid compartments A5 AG may be arranged above the active portion of the cell instead of laterally thereto. In this case the active portion of the `cell would be a closed chamber whose subcompartments would be respectively connected by inlet and outlet pipes with the compartments or chambers above.

In combining a number of the above-described cells to form a battery it is preferable to construct the outer or containing veslsel A in the manner shown in Fig. 'F-that is to say, with only two compartments A5 A6 for the entire number of cells employed. The cells are separated from each other bythe partitions af. A7 A8 are outlets with which each of these compartments is provided for the purpose of facilitating` the drawing 0E of' the spent fluids without shifting the battery. I n other respects the battery consists substantially of a multiplication of the cell already described.

Instead of arranging the battery in rectangular form, as shown in Fig. 7, it may be arranged in circular form, as shown in Fig. 9, in which case the cells would bedisposed radially, with one of the compartments A5 As located centrally and the other circumferenmay be furnished with a bottom of porousv material D in Fig. 8,' through which the spent fiuids, which have a tendency to descend, can slowly permeate, and thereby find their way into a receptacle D provided for them. rIhe porosity of the said bottom must be such that the iiuids cannot percolate too quickly and escape before th-ey'are sufficiently spent. In order to keep up the supply of the fluids to the battery, reservoirs DJD3 may be employed for containing the fresh fluids, the said reservoirs being situated above the battery, to which they are connected by means of suitable pipes D4 D5. rPhe iniiow of the fresh fluids to the battery from the said lreservoirs can be so regulated by taps or cocks DGD7 as to compensate for the outow of the spent fluids. In this way the battery would keep itself always properly supplied with exciting .fiuids ln Figs. l0 to l5 I have shown. modified constructions and arrangements of the car- IOO TIO

bottom, as best see'n at Fig. 15.

bon elements. The carbon elements C are in Figs. l0 and 11 made in the form of tubes and are composed of porous carbon or graphite. These tubes extend through the bottom of the outer vessel A and their upper ends lie above the level of the exciting iiuid within the cells. Both ends of the porous carbon tubes are thus fully open to the atmosphere, and in this manner any of the exciting fluid that percolates the pores of the carbon will be able to escape at the lower ends of the tubes. The under side of the battery is provided with feet, so that it is supported a short distance from the surface upon which it rests. Sufficient space is thereby left to permit of a tray or similar receptacle being placed beneath the battery to receive any Huid dripping from the tubes. The carbon of which the tubes C are composed is sufficiently porous to allow the hydrogen-gas bubbles that collect on their exterior surface to permeate the said tubes and come into contact with the air flowing through the interior thereof. NVhen the temperature in the active portion of the cell rises, the air within the carbon elements becomes warmed and ascends, carrying with it any hydrogen gas that enters the tubes, the place of the ascending warm air being taken by the entrance of fresh cool air into the lower ends of the tubes. Although the vertical arrangement of the 'tubes above described is preferable, I do not confine myself thereto, as they may be arranged in any other position that may be found suitable so long as both their ends are open. For instance, in the modified construction shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the said tubes are arranged horizontally and extend from side to side of the outer cell A, thereby passing completely through the outer or main compartments A5 A6. It will be found more advantageous not to arrange the aforesaid carbon tubes perfectly horizontal,.as shown in Figs. l2 and 13, but to give them an inclination, so that the escape of the exciting fiuid percolating the porous carbon of which the tubes are composed will be facilitated. The aforesaid tubes are all connected together with a suitable metallic current-collecting plate CX. In Figs. 14 and l5 the said carbon elements are made in the form of plates, with channels or passages c extending through them from top to The lower ends of these carbon plates are prolonged through the bottom of the outer vessel, so that the exciting fluid percolating the pores of the carbon elements and entering` the said channels or passages c will be able to escape at the lower ends in the manner already explained with reference to the tubular cai-bons. In this construction of battery I do not ernploy any porous partitions between the elements. The circulation-apertures @5X av6 are arranged as best seen in Fig. 14-that is to say, those in the partition a5 communicate with the spaces on each side of the iron ele the addition of nitric acid, and for the viron elements dilute sulfuric acid, to which may be p added a small proportion of nitric acid. The

proportions of the above-mentioned ingredients may be as follows: In the single-fluid batteries described, with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, bichromate of soda, one part; sulfuric acid, five parts; water, twenty-five parts. In the double-iiuid-batteries described with reference to the other figures I may employ for the carbon elements bichromate of soda, one part; sulfuric acid, three parts; water, six parts, and for the iron elements sulfuric acid, one part; water, twenty parts, or for the carbon elements bichromate of soda, one part; sulfuric acid, two and one-half parts; nitric acid, one part; water, tive parts, and for the iron elements water, twenty-five parts; sulfurie acid, one-half part; nitric acid, one-half art. p The nitric acid in the above-mentioned solution for the carbon elements may be omitted, in which case the solution would be as follows: bichromate of soda, one part; sulfuric acid, two and one-half parts; water, five parts.

The proportions of the sulfuric and nitric acids employed in the solution for the iron elements may be varied, but it ispreferable that they should not together exceed onetwentieth of the water. I find that the use of the sulfuric acid and nitric acid considerably mitigates local action in the inner cells-that is to say, in the cells containing the iron elements.

It is to be understood that the above-stated proportions may be varied somewhat and that the solutions are suitable for use in batteries differing from those above described if iron and carbon be employed as the elements.

l. In a galvanic battery an outer vessel di vided by non porous Vperforated partitions into three main compartments, the inner one of which constitutes the active portion of the battery, and the outer ones constitute reser voirs for su pplying the activeportion of the battery with the exciting fluid, metal and carbon elements arranged in said inner compartment, the said perforations in the nonporous partitions being arranged to put all the metal nelements in communication with one of the outer compartments and all the carbon elements in communication with the other outer compartment, substantially as described and for the purpose specifieds ICO IIO

2. ln a, galvanic battery, the Combination Vfree to permit circulation of air through tho with a battery-cell, of hollow carbon elements said carbons, substantially as described. 1o passing through the cell and open at their op- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set posite ends to the atmosphere but inzicoessimy hand this 4th day of September, 1895.

ble to the electrolyte Within the cell, whereby VALTER ROWBOTHAM.

the exciting liquid that pereolates the pores Witnesses: l

of the carbons and enters their interiors can ARTHUR A. BERGIN,

escape by gravity and leave the said interiors l WM. MELLORSH JACKSON. 

